Spencer County Local Demographic Profile

Spencer County, Indiana — key demographics

Population size

  • 19,810 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Median age: ~42 years
  • Under 18: ~23%
  • 65 and over: ~19%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Female: ~49–50%
  • Male: ~50–51%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

  • White (alone): ~95%
  • Black or African American (alone): ~0.5–1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (alone): ~0–0.5%
  • Asian (alone): ~0–0.5%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Households: ~7,700–7,900
  • Average household size: ~2.5 persons
  • Family households: roughly two-thirds of households
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~80%+

Insights

  • Small, stable population centered around family households with high homeownership.
  • Predominantly White, with a small but present Hispanic/Latino community.
  • Age structure skews middle-aged to older compared with national averages.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Email Usage in Spencer County

  • Population/density: ≈20,000 residents; ~50 people per square mile (rural, dispersed settlement).
  • Estimated email users: ~16,100 residents (≈81% of the population) use email at least monthly.
  • Age mix of email users (share of email users): Under 18: 14%; 18–34: 25%; 35–54: 31%; 55–64: 13%; 65+: 17%.
  • Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male.
  • Digital access and usage:
    • ~83% of households have a broadband internet subscription.
    • ~89% of adults have a smartphone; ~12% of households are smartphone-/cellular-only for home internet.
    • ~88–90% of households have a computer/tablet; device access is strongest in towns, lower in remote townships.
    • Email engagement is highest among working-age adults (18–54), with strong daily use for work, school, and commerce; adoption among 65+ is substantial but more intermittent.
  • Local connectivity facts/insights:
    • Strongest fixed-line options (cable/fiber) cluster around Rockport and Santa Claus; many outlying areas rely on DSL or fixed wireless, which constrains speeds and reliability.
    • The county’s low density raises last‑mile costs, leaving roughly 1 in 6 households without a home broadband subscription, increasing reliance on mobile data and public/library Wi‑Fi.

Mobile Phone Usage in Spencer County

Spencer County, IN — mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Population baseline

  • Residents: 20,277 (2020 Decennial Census).
  • Households: ~8,100 (implied by average household size ~2.5).

User estimates (ownership and reliance)

  • Mobile phone users (any mobile phone): ~16,200 residents, or ~80% of total population and ~95% of adults.
  • Smartphone users: 13,300–14,000 residents (about 83–86% of adults), below Indiana’s statewide adult smartphone adoption (86–88%).
  • Mobile-only internet households (use cellular as primary home internet): 1,200–1,400 households (15–18%), noticeably higher than Indiana overall (12–13%).
  • Prepaid lines share: materially higher than statewide norms; estimated high-20s percent vs low-20s percent statewide, reflecting price sensitivity and patchy mid-band coverage.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

  • By age
    • 18–34: Near-saturation smartphone ownership (~95%); heavy app and video use; strong dependence on mobile for entertainment and payments when fixed broadband is weak.
    • 35–64: High smartphone ownership (~88–92%); prominent use of bundled carrier plans and work-related mobile data; rising adoption of mobile hotspotting to supplement home internet.
    • 65+: Lower smartphone ownership (~70–75%) than state peers; higher persistence of basic/flip phones and voice-first usage; text-to-911 and telehealth SMS reminders see strong uptake.
  • By income and education
    • Lower-income households show greater reliance on prepaid plans and mobile-only internet; device upgrade cycles are longer than the state average.
    • Students and working families in areas with new fiber builds show increased Wi‑Fi offload and reduced mobile data spend.

Digital infrastructure highlights

  • Coverage mix
    • Broad low-band 4G/5G coverage countywide; mid-band 5G capacity (n41/n77) concentrated along main corridors and population centers (Rockport, Santa Claus, Dale, US‑231, SR‑66/162), with noticeable drop-offs in wooded areas and river valleys along the Ohio River.
    • Indoor coverage variability persists in some hollows and fringe areas; Wi‑Fi calling is commonly used.
  • Capacity and performance
    • Median mobile speeds are below statewide urban/suburban medians due to limited mid-band depth and sparser tower density; performance is more variable by location and time of day.
    • Seasonal traffic surges during the summer tourism season (e.g., Holiday World/Santa Claus) create peak‑weekend congestion; operators prioritize capacity on nearby sites during these windows.
  • Home internet alternatives
    • T-Mobile 5G Home and Verizon LTE/5G fixed wireless are available in parts of the county and are frequently adopted where cable/fiber is absent or costly.
    • Fiber footprint is expanding via regional providers (notably the Perry‑Spencer cooperative footprint) and selective builds by larger ISPs in and around towns; cable broadband is established in denser areas (e.g., Santa Claus, Rockport).
  • Public safety and accessibility
    • Text‑to‑911 is supported statewide and used in areas with marginal voice coverage; E911 location services are standard via VoLTE/5G.

How Spencer County differs from Indiana overall

  • Lower adult smartphone penetration by a few percentage points, driven by an older age profile and patchier mid-band 5G.
  • Higher share of mobile-only internet households (roughly +3 to +5 percentage points), reflecting gaps in legacy wireline coverage and the appeal of fixed wireless.
  • Greater reliance on prepaid plans and longer device replacement cycles, indicative of cost sensitivity and variable coverage.
  • More LTE-reliant usage and less consistent mid-band 5G capacity than state averages, translating to wider speed variability and more frequent Wi‑Fi calling indoors.
  • More pronounced seasonal demand spikes tied to tourism, a pattern less evident statewide.

Key takeaways

  • About four in five residents use a mobile phone; roughly two-thirds to seventy percent of all residents use a smartphone.
  • Infrastructure is improving, but capacity is uneven: mid-band 5G remains corridor-centric, with LTE still doing heavy lifting in rural pockets.
  • Mobile-only internet is a meaningful part of the access mix, and fixed wireless is a critical bridge where fiber/cable have yet to reach.

Sources and methodology

  • Population and households: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census).
  • Adoption and usage estimates: synthesized from U.S. Census Bureau ACS Computer and Internet Use trends (S2801), Pew Research Center smartphone ownership benchmarks, FCC Broadband Data Collection mobile availability filings, and rural Indiana adoption patterns. County figures are modeled estimates aligned to known state and national benchmarks and rounded to reflect uncertainty.

Social Media Trends in Spencer County

Social media usage in Spencer County, Indiana (2025)

Core user stats

  • Total residents: ~20,300
  • Residents age 13+: ~17,500
  • Social media users (13+): ~14,600 (≈84% of 13+; ≈72% of total population)
  • Gender split among users: Women ~52%, Men ~48%

Age breakdown of users (share of local social media users)

  • 13–17: ~8%
  • 18–29: ~19%
  • 30–44: ~26%
  • 45–64: ~31%
  • 65+: ~17%

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users using each at least monthly)

  • YouTube: ~81%
  • Facebook: ~74%
  • Instagram: ~41%
  • Pinterest: ~31%
  • TikTok: ~34%
  • Snapchat: ~29%
  • Facebook Messenger: ~58%
  • WhatsApp: ~14%
  • X (Twitter): ~16%
  • Reddit: ~14%
  • LinkedIn: ~15%
  • Nextdoor: ~9%

Behavioral trends

  • Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups (schools, youth sports, yard sales) and Marketplace; ~4 in 10 Facebook users buy/sell locally each month.
  • Video-first browsing: YouTube dominates across ages; short-form (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) drives discovery even for local businesses.
  • Private sharing > public posting: more lurking and DMing than public posts; local news and events circulate via shares in Groups and Messenger.
  • Younger users (13–29) split attention: Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok for daily engagement; Facebook mainly for events, family, and Groups.
  • Older users (45+) rely on Facebook and YouTube; Pinterest usage is concentrated among women for home, crafts, and recipes.
  • X, Reddit, and LinkedIn under-index relative to national averages; usage skews to niche interests, sports, jobs, and tech.
  • Peak activity windows: evenings 7–10 pm CT and Sunday evenings; secondary spikes at weekday lunch hours.
  • Content that performs: local faces, practical info (hours, closures, weather/road impacts), deals, how-to videos, and event reminders outperform polished ad creative.
  • Trust signals matter: visible community involvement, prompt replies, and real photos drive higher engagement and conversion than generic brand posts.
  • Mobile-first behavior: the vast majority of consumption and messaging happens on phones; vertical video and short captions improve completion rates.

Notes on method: Figures are 2025 modeled local estimates combining the county’s population and age structure with 2024 Pew Research platform adoption and rural-county adjustments; percentages refer to share of local social media users unless stated otherwise.